Meantime (1983) directed by Mike Leigh Viewed on January 15, 2022
Commentary:
The first plot summary in IMDB interprets Mark as being jealous of the job offer given to his brother Colin. That's only partially true. Mark is also protective of his brother. He attempts to shield him from the verbal abuse of his parents, while at the same time doling out his own hurtful words. When he goes to visit Barbara, he seems genuinely concerned that Colin might have gotten lost trying to get there on his own by public transit.
As if often the case with Leigh's characters, the more rotten they behave towards each other, the more human they become. Leigh never becomes sentimental. These characters are lazy, cruel, depressed, and hopeless. Yet they are somehow sympathetic.
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